Conargo tip fire

The Conargo waste disposal depot will be closed this week due to a fire which flared up a number of times over the weekend.

Mid Murray Zone Manager Tony Whitehorn said it was reported to the Rural Fire Service at 8pm Friday and flared up a number of times before being officially declared as contained on Sunday evening.

Mr Whitehorn said there were initial fears the fire might burn out of control on Friday night, but Conargo Rural Fire Service firefighters worked diligently to prevent it spreading.

‘‘We were able to keep it mostly within the council boundaries,’’ Mr Whitehorn said.

‘‘There was some grass outside the fence which did catch alight, but it was extinguished quickly.’’

Firefighters continued to monitor the blaze throughout the weekend, extinguishing hot spots and flare-ups where necessary.

Mr Whitehorn said the cause of the waste depot fire is still being investigated.

Edward River Council general manager Adam McSwain said the most likely cause is spontaneous combustion, but the nature of the fire will make it hard to determine if it was deliberately lit.

He said the waste site will remained closed for the rest of the week as a precaution, with alternative waste disposal options put in place temporarily.

‘‘The Rural Fire Service attended the site on Friday and Saturday to ensure the fire was contained, however as landfill fires can travel underground along garbage layers, we have closed the site for the rest of the week and will continue to monitor it.

‘‘To avoid any inconvenience for Conargo residents seeking to dispose of waste and materials, we have placed skip bins at the entrance to the landfill for the remainder of this week.

‘‘We thank the Rural Fire Service for their speedy response on Friday and Saturday and for their ongoing assistance over the course of this week.’’

Mr Whitehorn said it is unclear how long the Conargo waste depot fire had been burning before being reported.

He said it’s important for all tip fires to be reported immediately.

‘‘We ask residents who see smoke coming from the Conargo waste depot to call Triple Zero (000) immediately,’’ he said.

‘‘We also ask that if smoke is seen at any other local waste depot that it is also reported to Triple Zero.’’